Acqua Paola Fountain (Fontanone)

The Fountain of Acqua Paola, affectionately called by the Romans “il Fontanone”, is one of the most fascinating monumental fountains in Rome, located on the top of the Janiculum Hill. Commissioned by Pope Paul V Borghese and built between 1608 and 1614, the fountain celebrates the restoration of the ancient Trajan Aqueduct, renamed the Paolo Aqueduct in honor of the pontiff. This impressive water project aimed to supply water to the Vatican, Trastevere, and surrounding neighborhoods, which suffered from a chronic water shortage. The design of the fountain was entrusted to architects Giovanni Fontana and Flaminio Ponzio, who were inspired by the Fountain of Acqua Felice, designed by Fontana himself, and the Roman Triumphal Arch. The construction of the fountain used recycled materials from the Roman Forum, the Temple of Minerva, and the ancient Basilica of St. Peter, giving the work a tangible connection to Rome’s glorious past. The fountain features a majestic structure, with five large arches rising above a wide semicircular basin. The central arches are topped by a Latin inscription celebrating Paul V’s water project. Above the inscription, the papal coat of arms of the Borghese family, with heraldic dragons and eagles, is supported by two angels sculpted by Ippolito Buzio. This rich decorative apparatus emphasizes the power and magnificence of the pontiff and his family. A distinctive element of the fountain is the water flowing from the five spouts located in the arches. The central spouts pour water into three small semicircular basins, while the lateral ones, set in statues depicting hybrids between wolves and dragons, flow directly into the main basin. The semicircular basin is bordered by columns decorated with the papal coat of arms, contributing to the overall aesthetic of the work. In 1690, Pope Alexander VIII Ottoboni commissioned an expansion of the fountain, entrusted to Carlo Fontana, Giovanni’s nephew. This intervention included the addition of a large semicircular basin and the modification of the water outlets, further enhancing the scenic appearance of the Fontanone. In addition, terracing works were carried out to create a large square in front of the fountain, offering visitors a spectacular view of Rome. Over the centuries, the Fountain of Acqua Paola has undergone several restorations to maintain its beauty and functionality. A major restoration took place in 1859 to repair the damage caused by the French during the reconquest of the Roman Republic. Other interventions followed in 1934, in the 1950s, between 2002 and 2004, and in 2019, when the restoration was funded by the fashion house Fendi, which contributed to the preservation of many of Rome’s historic fountains. An interesting anecdote related to the fountain concerns Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German poet and writer, who during his second stay in Rome in 1787, visited the fountain and was deeply impressed. In his book “Italian Journey”, Goethe enthusiastically describes the majesty of the waterfall cascading from the arches of the Fontanone, praising the idea of celebrating water with a triumphant entrance visible to all.